Shelby County, TN

County

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    2024 Population
    919,173
    US Senator
    Marsha Blackburn
    Republican Party
    US Senator
    Bill Hagerty
    Republican Party
    2024 Median Age
    35.9
    0.279% 1-year increase
    2024 Poverty Rate
    17.8%
    1.6% 1-year increase
    2024 Median Household Income
    $63,767
    2.29% 1-year growth
    2024 Median Property Value
    $249,100
    8.45% 1-year growth
    2024 Employed Population
    426,285
    0.407% 1-year decline

    About

    None of the households in Shelby County, TN reported speaking a non-English language at home as their primary shared language. This does not consider the potential multi-lingual nature of households, but only the primary self-reported language spoken by all members of the household.

    94.9% of the residents in Shelby County, TN are U.S. citizens.

    The largest universities in Shelby County, TN are University of Memphis (5,151 degrees awarded in 2024), The University of Tennessee Health Science Center (1,203 degrees), and Southwest Tennessee Community College (972 degrees).

    In 2024, the median property value in Shelby County, TN was $249,100, and the homeownership rate was 54.1%.

    Most people in Shelby County, TN drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 22.3 minutes. The average car ownership in Shelby County, TN was 2 cars per household.

    About the photo: skyline
    Photo by Nicolas Henderson
    United StatesTennesseeMemphis, TN-MS-AR

    Population & Diversity

    Shelby County, TN is home to a population of 919k people, from which 94.9% are citizens. As of 2024, 7.83% of Shelby County, TN residents were born outside of the country (72k people).

    In 2024, there were 1.6 times more Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) residents (480k people) in Shelby County, TN than any other race or ethnicity. There were 301k White (Non-Hispanic) and 36.7k Other (Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

    Population & Diversity

    Citizenship

    94.9%
    2024 Citizenship
    95.2%
    2023 Citizenship

    As of 2024, 94.9% of Shelby County, TN residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.2%. In 2023, the percentage of US citizens in Shelby County, TN was 95.2%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been decreasing.

    The following chart shows US citizenship percentages in Shelby County, TN compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

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    Diversity

    Race and Ethnicity

    The 3 largest ethnic groups in Shelby County, TN
    1. Black or African American (Non-Hispanic)
      480k ± 2.38k
    2. White (Non-Hispanic)
      301k ± 957
    3. Other (Hispanic)
      36.7k ± 2.31k
    8.85%
    Hispanic Population
    81.3k people

    In 2024, there were 1.6 times more Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) residents (480k people) in Shelby County, TN than any other race or ethnicity. There were 301k White (Non-Hispanic) and 36.7k Other (Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

    8.85% of the people in Shelby County, TN are hispanic (81.3k people).

    The following chart shows the 8 races represented in Shelby County, TN as a share of the total population.

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    Global Diversity

    The PUMS dataset is not available at the County level, so we are showing data for Tennessee.
    Most Common Origin
    1. Mexico
      95,077 ± 7,519 people
    2. Guatemala
      31,959 ± 4,379 people
    3. Honduras
      26,792 ± 4,011 people

    In 2024, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of Tennessee was Mexico, the natal country of 95,077 Tennessee residents, followed by Guatemala with 31,959 and Honduras with 26,792.

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    Foreign-Born Population

    7.83%
    2024 Foreign-Born Population
    72k people
    7.53%
    2023 Foreign-Born Population
    69.5k people

    As of 2024, 7.83% of Shelby County, TN residents (72k people) were born outside of the United States, which is approximately the same as the national average of 14%. In 2023, the percentage of foreign-born citizens in Shelby County, TN was 7.53%, meaning that the rate has been increasing.

    The following chart shows the percentage of foreign-born residents in Shelby County, TN compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

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    Military

    Veterans

    Most Common Service Period
    1. Vietnam
      11,552 ± 845
    2. Gulf War (2001-)
      10,498 ± 1,159
    3. Gulf War (1990s)
      7,631 ± 840

    Shelby County, TN has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 1.1 times greater than any other conflict.

    The chart shows the distribution of veterans by conflict in Shelby County, TN.

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    Health

    88% of the population of Shelby County, TN has health coverage, with 44.8% on employee plans, 19.5% on Medicaid, 10.2% on Medicare, 12.2% on non-group plans, and 1.37% on military or VA plans.

    Primary care physicians in Shelby County, TN see 1,167 patients per year on average, which represents a 0% change from the previous year (1,167 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 1289 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 493 patients per year.

    By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 47.2% were men and 52.8% were women.

    Coverage

    Patient to Clinician Ratios

    1,167 to 1
    Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio in Shelby County, TN

    Primary care physicians in Shelby County, TN see an average of 1,167 patients per year. This represents a 0% change from the previous year (1,167 patients).

    The following chart shows how the number of patients seen by primary care physicians has been changing over time in Shelby County, TN in comparison to its neighboring geographies.

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    Health Care Diversity

    In 2024, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 26.9% under 18 years, 22.1% between 18 and 34 years, 36.4% between 35 and 64 years, and 14.6% over 64 years.

    By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 47.2% were men and 52.8% were women.

    The following chart shows the number of people with health coverage by gender.

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    Uninsured People

    12%
    Uninsured
    44.8%
    Employer Coverage
    19.5%
    Medicaid
    10.2%
    Medicare
    12.2%
    Non-Group
    1.37%
    Military or VA

    Between 2023 and 2024, the percent of uninsured citizens in Shelby County, TN declined by 0.964% from 12.1% to 12%.

    The following chart shows how the percent of uninsured individuals in Shelby County, TN changed over time compared with the percent of individuals enrolled in various types of health insurance.

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    Health Indicators

    Health Outcomes

    Indicator

    In 2025, the average number of mentally unhealthy days reported in past 30 days (age-adjusted) was 6.49 in Shelby County, TN.

    The graphic shows the trend of the indicator in Shelby County, TN.

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    Health Behaviors

    Indicator

    In 2025, the percentage of the adult population (age 18 and older) that reports a body mass index (BMI) greater than or equal to 30 kg/m2 (age-adjusted) was 42.6% in Shelby County, TN.

    The graphic shows the trend of the indicator in Shelby County, TN.

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    Clinical Care

    Indicator

    In 2025, the percentage of population under age 65 without health insurance was 11.4% in Shelby County, TN.

    The graphic shows the trend of the indicator in Shelby County, TN.

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    Economy

    The economy of Shelby County, TN employs 426k people. In 2024, the largest industries in Shelby County, TN were Health Care & Social Assistance (60,536 people), Transportation & Warehousing (56,802 people), and Retail Trade (44,501 people), and the highest paying industries were Utilities ($82,181), Management of Companies & Enterprises ($71,583), and Professional, Scientific, & Technical Services ($69,086).

    Employment

    Occupations

    426k
    2024 Value
    ± 6,326
    −0.407%
    1 Year decline
    ± 2.07%

    From 2023 to 2024, employment in Shelby County, TN declined at a rate of −0.407%, from 428k employees to 426k employees.

    The most common job groups, by number of people living in Shelby County, TN, are Office & Administrative Support Occupations (52,732 people), Management Occupations (43,571 people), and Sales & Related Occupations (35,561 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Shelby County, TN.

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    Unemployment Insurance Claims

    Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for Tennessee.

    This chart shows weekly unemployment insurance claims in Tennessee (not-seasonally adjusted) compared with the four states with the most similar impact.

    The most recent data point uses Advance State Claims data, which can be revised in subsequent weeks.

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    Industries

    Employment by Industries

    426k
    2024 Value
    ± 6,326
    −0.407%
    1 Year decline
    ± 2.07%

    From 2023 to 2024, employment in Shelby County, TN declined at a rate of −0.407%, from 428k employees to 426k employees.

    The most common employment sectors for those who live in Shelby County, TN, are Health Care & Social Assistance (60,536 people), Transportation & Warehousing (56,802 people), and Retail Trade (44,501 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Shelby County, TN, though some of these residents may live in Shelby County, TN and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

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    Median Earnings by Industry

    $49,864
    Median earning men ± $654
    $40,824
    Median earning women ± $597

    The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2024 are Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($85,174), Public Administration ($71,683), and Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting, & Mining ($61,694).

    The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2024 are Public Administration ($52,710), Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($48,744), and Information ($48,092).

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    Employment by Industry Sector

    Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for Tennessee.
    Y-Axis
    3.15%
    Year-over-year growth
    Employment change between February 2022 and February 2023

    As of February 2023, there are 3.29M people employed in Tennessee. This represents a 3.15% increase in employment when compared to February 2022.

    Right after the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, during April 2020, a general dip can be seen across industry sectors, resulting in an overall decline in employment by 10.8%.

    The following chart shows monthly employment numbers for each industry sector in Tennessee.

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    Establishments by Size

    The industries with the most establishments
    1. 1,327
      Retail Trade
    2. 1,005
      Other Services (except Public Administration)
    3. 987
      Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services

    The visualization shows the distribution of establishments by industry and by size according to the number of employees.

    The visualization shows the number of establishments and its share across establishment sizes.

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    Payroll by Industry Sector

    The industries with the highest total annual payroll
    1. $4.68M
      Health Care and Social Assistance
    2. $3.75M
      Management of Companies and Enterprises
    3. $3.51M
      Transportation and Warehousing

    The chart shows the total annual payroll and the average annual payroll by industry.

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    Civics

    In the 2024 presidential election, the popular vote in Tennessee went to Donald J. Trump with 64.2% of the vote. The runner-up was Kamala Harris (34.5%), followed by Robert Kennedy (0.703%).

    Marsha Blackburn and Bill Hagerty are the senators currently representing the state of Tennessee. In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

    Tennessee is currently represented by 9 members in the U.S. house, and members of the House of Representives are elected to 2-year terms.

    Presidential Elections

    Voting results are not available for Shelby County, TN. Showing the available data for Tennessee.
    2024 Election Results
    1. Donald J. Trump (64.2%)
      Republican Party
    2. Kamala Harris (34.5%)
      Democratic Party
    3. Robert Kennedy (0.703%)
      Independent Party

    In the 2024 presidential election, the popular vote in Tennessee went to Donald J. Trump with 64.2% of the vote. The runner-up was Kamala Harris (34.5%), followed by Robert Kennedy (0.703%).

    The following chart shows the popular vote results in Tennessee for each registered party from 1976 to 2024.

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    Senator Elections

    US Senators from Tennessee

    Senatorial voting results are only available at the state level. Showing data for Tennessee.
    Marsha Blackburn
    Senator from Tennessee1
    Assumed office on January 3, 2019
    Bill Hagerty
    Senator from Tennessee2
    Assumed office on January 3, 2021

    Marsha Blackburn and Bill Hagerty are the senators currently representing Tennessee.

    In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

    The following chart shows elected senators in Tennessee over time, excluding special elections, colored by their political party.

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    Education

    In 2024, universities in Shelby County, TN awarded 11,553 degrees. The student population of Shelby County, TN in 2024 is skewed towards women, with 16,440 male students and 25,950 female students.

    Most students graduating from Universities in Shelby County, TN are White (4,379 and 41.9%), Black or African American (4,041 and 38.7%), Hispanic or Latino (727 and 6.96%), and Unknown (452 and 4.33%).

    The largest universities in Shelby County, TN by number of degrees awarded are University of Memphis (5,151 and 44.6%), The University of Tennessee Health Science Center (1,203 and 10.4%), and Southwest Tennessee Community College (972 and 8.41%).

    The most popular majors in Shelby County, TN are Registered Nursing (735 and 6.36%), General Business Administration & Management (568 and 4.92%), and Liberal Arts & Sciences (541 and 4.68%).

    The median tuition costs are $17,108 for private four year colleges, and $9,326 and $17,983 respectively, for public four year colleges for in-state students and out-of-state students.

    Admissions & Enrollments

    Applicants, Admissions & Enrolled

    University
    Measure

    In 2024 in Shelby County, TN, the percentage of applicants admitted was 68.2%, while the percentage of admitted who enrolled was 19.1%. The number of students enrolled in 2024 was 42,390 (38.8% men and 61.2% women).

    The line chart  shows the evolution of the percentage of applicants admitted, admitted who enrolled or the number of students enrolled according to the option selected in the upper button.

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    Enrollments by Gender and Races

    Universities

    In 2024 there were 42,390 students enrolled in Shelby County, TN, 38.8% men and 61.2% women.

    By race, the largest number of students enrolled was concentrated in Black or African American with 17,506 records, of which 67.8% were women and 32.2% men.

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    Completions

    Concentrations

    Most Common
    1. Registered Nursing
      554 degrees awarded
    2. Kinesiology & Exercise Science
      392 degrees awarded
    3. General Psychology
      264 degrees awarded

    In 2024, the most common concentation for Bachelors Degree recipients in Shelby County, TN was Registered Nursing with 554 degrees awarded.

    This visualization illustrates the percentage of students graduating with a Bachelors Degree from schools in Shelby County, TN according to their major.

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    Universities

    Gender
    Race
    Largest Universities by degrees awarded
    1. University of Memphis
      5,151 degrees awarded
    2. The University of Tennessee Health Science Center
      1,203 degrees awarded
    3. Southwest Tennessee Community College
      972 degrees awarded

    In 2024, the institution with the largest number of graduating students was University of Memphis with 5,151 degrees awarded.

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    Student Diversity

    University

    In 2024, 4,119 men were awarded degrees from institutions in Shelby County, TN, which is 0.554 times less than the 7,434 female students who received degrees in the same year.

    In 2024, the most common race/ethnicity group awarded degrees at institutions was White students. These 4,379 degrees mean that there were 1.08 times more degrees awarded to White students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, Black or African American, with 4,041 degrees awarded.

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    Awarded Degrees over Time

    The graph shows the evolution of awarded degrees by degrees. Under the paragraphs, the average number of awarded degrees by university in each degree is shown.

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    Tuition

    Average Net Price by Sector

    Universities

    Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above ($17,108) is the sector with the highest median state tuition in 2024.

    Public, 4-year or above ($2,494) is the sector with the highest median state fee in 2024.

    Public, 2-year ($1,545) is the sector with the highest average net price of books and supplies.

    The graph shows the average net price by sector and year.

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    Housing & Living

    The median property value in Shelby County, TN was $249,100 in 2024, which is 0.749 times smaller than the national average of $332,700. Between 2023 and 2024 the median property value increased from $229,700 to $249,100, a 8.45% increase. The homeownership rate in Shelby County, TN is 54.1%, which is lower than the national average of 65.2%.

    People in Shelby County, TN have an average commute time of 22.3 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Shelby County, TN is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

    In 2025, 18.8% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Shelby County, TN. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 2.08%.

    Housing

    Property

    $249,100
    Median Property Value 2024
    ±$4,330
    $196,379
    Median Property Taxes
    ±$3,762

    The following chart display owner-occupied housing units distributed between a series of property tax buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. In Shelby County, TN the largest share of households pay taxes in the $3k+ range.

    The chart underneath the paragraph shows the property taxes in Shelby County, TN compared to it's parent and neighbor geographies.

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    Rent vs Own

    54.1%
    Homeownership
    2024
    65%
    Homeowners with Mortgage
    2024

    In 2024, 54.1% of the housing units in Shelby County, TN were occupied by their owner. This percentage declined from the previous year's rate of 54.6%.

    This chart shows the percentage of owner in Shelby County, TN compared it's parent and neighboring geographies.

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    Equity

    Household Income

    Please note that the buckets used in this visualization were not evenly distributed by ACS when publishing the data.
    $63,767
    Median Household Income
    ± $1,251
    363k
    Number of Households
    ± 5,629

    In 2024, the median household income of the 363k households in Shelby County, TN grew to $63,767 from the previous year's value of $62,337.

    The following chart displays the households in Shelby County, TN distributed between a series of income buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households have an income in the $75k - $100k range.

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    Wage Distribution

    The closest comparable wage GINI for Shelby County, TN is from Tennessee.
    0.457
    2024 Wage GINI in Tennessee
    0.459
    2023 Wage GINI in Tennessee

    In 2024, the income inequality in Tennessee was 0.457 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.505% decline from 2023 to 2024, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat more even. The GINI for Tennessee was lower than than the national average of 0.474. In other words, wages are distributed more evenly in Tennessee in comparison to the national average.

    This chart shows the number of workers in Tennessee across various wage buckets compared to the national average.

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    Transportation

    Commuter Transportation

    Most Common Commute in 2024
    1. Drove Alone (76.6%)
    2. Worked At Home (10.8%)
    3. Carpooled (9.38%)

    In 2024, 76.6% of workers in Shelby County, TN drove alone to work, followed by those who worked at home (10.8%) and those who carpooled to work (9.38%).

    The following chart shows the number of households using each mode of transportation over time, using a logarithmic scale on the y-axis to help better show variations in the smaller means of commuting.

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    Commute Time

    22.3 minutes
    Average Travel Time

    Using averages, employees in Shelby County, TN have a shorter commute time (22.3 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.4 minutes). Additionally, 0.943% of the workforce in Shelby County, TN have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

    The chart below shows how the median household income in Shelby County, TN compares to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

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    Car Ownership

    2 cars
    Average Number

    The following chart displays the households in Shelby County, TN distributed between a series of car ownership buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households in Shelby County, TN have 2 cars.

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    Poverty

    Severe Housing Problems

    In 2025, 18.8% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Shelby County, TN. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 2.08%.

    The graph shows the trend of the percentage of the population living with severe housing problems.

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    Poverty & Diversity

    17.8% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Shelby County, TN (161k out of 903k people) live below the poverty line, a number that is higher than the national average of 12.5%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Females 25 - 34, followed by Males 6 - 11 and then Females 35 - 44.

    The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Shelby County, TN is Black, followed by White and Hispanic.

    The Census Bureau uses a set of money income thresholds that vary by family size and composition to determine who classifies as impoverished. If a family's total income is less than the family's threshold than that family and every individual in it is considered to be living in poverty.

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    Children in Poverty

    In 2025, 28.1% of the children was living in poverty in Shelby County, TN. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 4%.

    The graph shows the trend of the percentage of the children living in poverty.

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    Security

    Crimes & Accidents

    Indicator

    In 2022, the number of reported violent crimes offenses per 100,000 population was 1.35k in Shelby County, TN. From 2014 to 2022, the indicator grew 76.3% per 100,000 population.

    The graph shows the trend in the number of reported violent crimes offenses per 100,000 population.

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